Once a member of the punk rock band Generation X, Billy Idol eventually explored a solo career that led him to the forefront of the second British invasion of the United States. Thanks to albums like Rebel Yell, Cyberpunk, and his latest, Dream Into It, the singer continued to expand his stardom. Not finished sharing his love for music, the icon recently took a deep look into the early years of his stardom in the new documentary Billy Idol: Should Be Dead. While most know that Idol is alive and well, the new film revealed how the singer almost died due to a drug overdose.
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Given the stardom that surrounded Idol over the years, the singer also watched his life play out on headlines. With many knowing about his struggles with drugs, the documentary recalled how Idol returned to England after expanding his music into the United States. In his own words, Idol said, “I was coming back to England … in triumph, and I nearly ruined it.”
How exactly did Idol almost ruin his entire career and life? “We flew to London where we met a load of our pals that we knew. They had some of the strongest h-roin, Persian brown I think it was. Everybody did a line or so, and they all nodded out, except for me and this mate of mine. We kind of went, ‘Well, that’s funny.’ So we did a few more lines.”
Not remotely worried about the dangers of the drug at the time, Idol found himself on the verge of dying. “I was basically dying. I was turning blue. So they put me in an ice cold bath, and I remember them walking me around on the top of the building, you know, on the roof.”
Billy Idol on Drug Usage
Thankfully, Idol lived through the experience and turned his life around. But as he remembered, all those around him at the time were drug users. “A lot of the people we loved were all h-roin addicts. Lou Reed wrote the song ‘H-roin.’ The New York Dolls were all h-roin addicts practically. So we weren’t thinking how dangerous it was. In fact, you’re thinking quite the opposite. Maybe this could unleash something.”
With Idol wanting to get clean, he decided to part ways with those negative influences in his life. That included the drug dealer that lived right next to him. Hiding out in a hotel in Manhattan, Idol sadly found a new drug to take his mind off h-roin. “It’s only when I really tried to give up h-roin that I did start to smoke cr-ck. And, yeah, it was a nightmare. I mean, it’s horrible because I was seeing and hearing things. Like, people in the next room talking about me or above me.”
Once again spiraling out of control, Idol’s friends eventually convinced him to seek professional help to detox. Even his father flew in from London to help. And according to Idol, he hasn’t touched hard drugs since the early 2000s. But he did admit he continued to dabble in cannabis and the occasional drink.
(Photo by Gregory Pace/Shutterstock)
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